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12 Glitter-Free Holiday Party Beauty Looks

If you’re into glitter, this is the time of year you really shine. If you’re not, you’re in the right place. Because as the holiday party invitations flood in our heads start reeling with makeup ideas. Super dark lips with silver winged eyeliner? Yes, please. Glossy lids and cheeks with a berry lip to match? Without a doubt. The list goes on for quite a while before our minds even get to any sort of glittery eye situation (though we don’t hate a good glitter eye).

Scroll through for some festive holiday-party beauty inspiration (glitter not included)!

Smudgy Exaggerated Eyes + Berry Lips

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A holiday party is the perfect excuse to play with your smudgiest eye pencil. Maybelline’s Master Kajal Khol Eyeliner ($12) is one of our favourites for smudging. Line all the way around your eyes, including your waterline, and smudge it out exaggerating the shape of your eye toward the end of your eyebrow.

Bright Red Lips + Strong Brows

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Bright red lips scream holiday. Just skip the full-face of makeup that usually goes with them to keep the look fresh and modern. Even out your skin, add a coat of mascara, define your brows, and then let your lips do all of the talking with a true red like Rimmel’s Apocalips Lip Lacquer ($16) in Big Bang.

Rust Eye Shadow + Flawless Skin

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Rust, aka. the colour of the season, can be intimidating to wear on a regular night, but it’s perfect for a party. Try Kat Von D’s Metal Crush Eyeshadow ($30) in Synergy. Keep the rest of your makeup simple; just be sure to cover your dark circles well or you’ll run the risk of looking like you’ve holiday-partied too hard.

Heavy Black Eyeliner + Matte Skin

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Defined eyes always make a statement; so don’t be shy with the eyeliner or mascara. When paired with matte skin and soft pink lips, eye makeup like this looks polished, not harsh.

Monochromatic Pink Glow

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Our motto? The glowier and dewier, the better. Go monochromatic to make even more of an impact. Pink, in particular, looks fresh and ethereal if you're not in the mood to be a bronzed goddess.

Silver Eye Shadow + Bare Skin and Lips

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Find your favourite wet-look, light silver eye shadow, throw on a coat of mascara, lip balm (and maybe some concealer because we can’t all have model skin), and you’re set.

Black Winged Eyeliner + Wine Lips

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You can’t go wrong with deep wine-hued lips and a simple, sharp black cat eye. Make Up For Ever's Ink Liner Matte Black ($32) is perfect for creating precise lines.

Tri-Colour Eyes + Nude Lips Sculpted Cheeks

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If you’re not one to dabble in coloured eye shadow, now is the time to experiment. For a subdued take on high-colour eyes, just add a pop of purple to the outer corners of your eyes. Blend it into a bronze shade and add a highlight to the inner corners for a subtle ombré effect.

Super Dark Lips + Silver Winged Eyeliner

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Maybe black lipstick isn’t in your comfort zone, but swap in your darkest lip colour and this look will still be fantastic. Actually, anything you pair with an overdrawn silver cat eye will look fantastic. If you’re in the market for silver eyeliner, we recommend Urban Decay's Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner ($30) in Glamrock.

Glossy Eyes + Barely-There Lip Colour

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Eyes this glossy aren’t an everyday deal, but with a touch of mauve or grey eye shadow, a bit of mascara, and soft rose-coloured lips and cheeks, they’re an excellent choice for a party. To avoid the stickiness, try this method of achieving glossy eyes.